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The Natural Products Expo East, held last week in Baltimore, is one of my most favorite spots to find new nutrition, health & beauty products— and hot trends on the horizon— to share with my Beauty Is Wellness clients and readers.
As usual, this year's expo was full of cool finds! So not all of them get my thumbs up (I'll explain more in a moment...), but they're all worth a look. After all, these are the products that will be on your grocery or health food store shelves in the months to come!

Here's your sneak peek inside the expo, at the trends that had me doing a double take...

Ayurveda: Modernized. Everything old is new again, including one of the oldest systems of medicine: Ayurveda. You had to work hard not to stumble on Ayurvedic products at Expo East, and I thought that most of them were worth a closer look. First, I saw a ton of Ayurvedic supplements, from brands like Irwin Ayurvedics, Avesta and Veria. You'll start to see herbs packaged individually (Ashwaganda and Shatavari, for example) and clearly labeled with their benefits, and botanical blends with catchy names like Liver Let Live (for liver function) and Cold Play (respiratory function and throat health). I also saw a few brands of Ayurvedic skin, hair and body care products, which were unique, if a little gimmicky. VeriaID's Ayurvedic beauty booth included a touch screen test (shown below- or you can take the quiz here) to help you find your dosha, or Ayurvedic type, which then lead you to a lineup of products tailored to your constitution. In the end, all of these products serve the same basic functions. The interesting element is that they include botanical ingredients beneficial to your type.

Buzzworthy Beauty. Not only did I find a skin-healing mask made with powerfully healing Manuka honey and trendy bee venom, I came face to face with an entire bee-based beauty line that looks incredible: the Minneapolis-based Worker B. With raw honey cleansers (!), a dreamy lotion bar and day and night serums with propolis, this line is exciting— and impressive! I have yet to test all of the products, but the ingredients and inspired products in the Worker B line look top-notch.

Monkfruit. Move over stevia, monkfruit is taking over. I saw several companies touting natural sweetener made from this fruit. The nutritional profile of monkfruit sweetener is comparable to that of stevia: no calories, low glycemic index. And personally, I felt that the varieties I sampled produced a less detectable aftertaste than stevia. I'll be testing it in a few recipes and reporting back.

Teas. There were tons of medicinal teas at this show. Look for your fave Traditional Medicinals teas to get a major makeover soon (and some new additions like fennel, lemon balm and burdock), more tulsi teas to become available from major brands, and a new not-yet-arrived mulberry tea made from mulberry leaves that's caffeine free, tastes a lot like green, boosts digestion and balances blood sugar!

And of course, there were also trends tread carefully around:

Collagen Craze. 'Beauty from within' is about more than beautifying foods in the natural products world— it's about nutricosmetics (supplements) and nutraceuticals (foods) with beauty benefits. Thing is, I'm not sold on this route to beauty. After seeing a handful of collagen supplements and a new line of collagen chews (below), I'm going to need more proof that these products would actually make more of an impact than sticking to a beautifying diet alone.

Liquid Nutrition. Drinking your calories can be a double edged sword. But there was no shortage of 'health drinks' at expo east this year. Two that stood out as potentially interesting (when consumed in limited quantities, of course): Vinki, an apple cider vinegar drink sweetened with pomegranate or blueberry, and Tumeric: The Elixir of Life, a raw turmeric drink with anti-inflammatory benefits.

Gluten Free...Junk Food. What happens when you take pound cake, pizza, cheesecake, cookies, frosting and chips and make gluten free versions? They're still junk food. This year, it was more clear than ever that the gluten intolerant can have their cake and eat it too— and not be very healthy, unless they are wary of the GF junk food trap. These GF foods are treats, nothing more. That said, I saw some gluten-free products that were exciting— like cup for cup flours from Deya's and Domata that I cant wait to bake with, and GF muesli from Bob's Red Mill. Eating gluten free is wonderful for your beauty and your body, but stay GF smart!

Have questions about any of these trends? Want to know how to incorporate them into your healthy lifestyle? Email me at jolene@beautyiswellness.com with questions!

Find beauty inspiration on Instagram:

November feels ages away, but I promise you're going to want to save the date for this amazing Boston wellness event right now! There will be small group sessions and an incredibly diverse group of speakers- all providing inspiration for living your healthiest life. And I'll be sharing all kinds of bonus info that didn't make it into #EatPretty! Follow @wellsummit for updated info.

Lighten your body's toxic load by opting for organic when buying the most pesticide-sprayed produce, like apples and celery. The new 2015 Dirty Dozen list is out from @environmentalworkinggroup- it's an #EatPretty essential, whether you download the app or print out a copy at ewg.org!

One year ago today, #EatPretty entered the world! Thank you all for embracing this book and its message so completely this year. I maintain that Eat Pretty's readers are the most passionate, inspiring, motivated and (naturally) beautiful group you could find anywhere, ever!! xo

So excited to be a part of the first @wellsummit, coming to Boston this November! Get ready for an incredibly inspiring weekend jam-packed with inspiration for living your healthiest life. Hope to meet you there! Wellsummit.org for info. #EatPretty #WellSummit

A favorite salad that always reminds me of early spring- roasted carrot, farro and lots of fresh, cleansing parsley with a light olive oil and lemon dressing. Adapted from @food52. My 13 month-old had this for the first time today and devoured it right along with me! #EatPretty

Beyond excited about this Valentine's package: homemade vegan cookies from the amazing @christinacooks! The raw 'mounds' cookies are too good for words. NEED this recipe! #EatPretty #ChristinaCooks

Young or old, single or partnered, V-day is a great reminder to celebrate SELF-love. #EatPretty #healthyvanity

It's just so nice to see something bloom.

Cannot wait to get my hands dirty- and my skin cleaner than ever- making the dozens of natural beauty products in #SkinCleanse! Huge congrats on your upcoming book Adina!! @swbasicsofbk 💗💚

#Regram from the talented @therealtessaelyse, who makes fruit look like candy! #EatPretty

Couldn't resist getting my hands in the dirt on this snowy morning. I can't wait to see this fiery red amaryllis bloom in 6 weeks. The nourishing phase of this winter bulb really mirrors our beauty this season! I hope you're resting, restoring and loving yourself this season in preparation for a gorgeous spring.

To my family, friends, readers and clients around the world who energetically shared and supported #EatPretty this year: I can't express the depth of my gratitude! It was a challenge giving birth to a baby and a book all at once, and you gave my little book wings while I was occupied with nursing and healing. Your continuing desire to build beauty into your life inspires me beyond words. The rosemary in this pic is for remembrance; I'll never forget your gifts to me this year. Wishing you all abundant health and beauty in 2015!

Until Jan 15th, the #EatPretty ebook is on sale for only $1.99! Get it on @iTunes, @barnesandnoble, @Amazon, GooglePlay and more. Don't make New Year's resolutions- grab this ebook and pamper yourself with beauty from the inside in 2015!

Winter arrives in the Northern Hemisphere! This is a season of rest and nourishment for your beauty and body, so don't forget to take it easy between holiday parties, and pack your diet with the winter beauty foods in #EatPretty that will keep you glowing long after the celebrations are over.

Confession: I've been eating these all month. Store them in the freezer and grab one anytime a cookie craving hits. Minty, creamy, chocolatey (and only a teensy bit of maple syrup and stevia to sweeten). Cool Peppermint Cream Cups, p. 157 in #EatPretty!

There's no question that homemade gifts are the best. These balms, body scrub and hair ties were made by my talented sister-in-law. In case you needed some holiday gift inspiration:)

Love your skin this Thanksgiving by making my anti-aging cranberry sauce recipe instead of the standard recipe that packs in 88g of sugar (almost a full half cup of sugar) in a 1-cup serving! Recipe at jolenehart.com. #EatPretty